


Aftermath

by ReaderJane



Category: Stephanie Plum - Evanovich
Genre: Explicit Language, Gen, Rape/Non-con References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-01
Updated: 2005-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-06 09:59:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderJane/pseuds/ReaderJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How can Stephanie help Sally Sweet escape the consequences of rescuing her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: right after the end of Ten Big Ones  
> Sorry about the language. Sally insisted.  
> Disclaimer: it's all Janet's

I sat on the curb with my face in my arms. There were so many emergency vehicles parked everywhere, I thought the flashing lights would give me a seizure if I had to look at them any longer. The adrenaline had long since worn off. Despite the hot August night, I shivered.

I had narrowly escaped being beaten and raped by a gang called the Slayers. Junkman, their new leader, had me inside a circle painted on the broken ghetto blacktop. Each time Junkman hit me I had struggled to stay inside the circle, because crowded all around it were gang members waiting to grab me if I stumbled over the line.

Until the cavalry came to my rescue. A very strange-looking cavalry named Sally Sweet. Sally is a six-foot four transvestite who drives a school bus. He had plowed his bus right into the crowd of Slayers, then jumped out and mowed the rest down with an Uzi. All while wearing a cocktail dress and red sequined heels.

I shifted my face to keep the bruises away from my knees and arms. I wanted to go home - wherever that was - and shower. Take some aspirin and sleep for a week. But the cops had insisted I needed to stick around and give a statement. Fourteen gang members were dead, run over by Sally's bus or shot by the Uzi he carried under the driver's seat. That was way too serious for anyone involved to call it a night.

"Can you believe the cojones on that dude?" The voice was Andy Zajack, one of the first police officers on the scene. "He definitely earned the ten thou reward."

I kept my face buried while Andy's partner Robin Russell replied, her voice lower. "The reward was for information leading to the apprehension of Junkman. Not for terminating fourteen citizens."

"Citizens my ass," Andy protested. "What was Sweet supposed to do, let them tear Steph apart? These scum aren't citizens. They're scum. And killing an armed assailant in defense of an unarmed citizen isn't murder." Their feet shuffled as they made way for yet another stretcher headed for a waiting ambulance. I didn't look. I didn't want to know if the body on the stretcher was alive or in a bag.

Robin's voice continued, "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Stephanie's okay. And I hope Sally does get the reward money, because he's going to need it all for his legal defense. Look at those guns on the pavement. When was the last time you saw a man driven over by a vehicle who dropped his gun right next to his hand? CSI's going to have a field day with this crime scene, and you know it."

Tears started to spill down my face. The salt stung the scrapes on my cheek. Sally was my friend, and now he was my hero too. Was he going to go to jail for saving me? I could just see Sally in his gown, fending off the other prisoners in the holding tank. It wasn't fair.

A warm body settled on the curb next to me. I felt slippery chiffon brush against my jeans.

"How you holding up, Steph?" Sally slung an arm over my shoulder.

I raised my head. "Awful," I said, wiping my face on my sleeve. "Sally, are they arresting you? Are you going to get in trouble?"

"Hey, don't fucking worry about it!" Sally gave my shoulders a squeeze. "The Uzi might be a problem," he admitted. "I don't exactly have a fucking license to carry one. But I figure, between the reward money and the book and movie deals, I'm gonna fucking clean up. I'll have lawyers lining up to represent me."

"You're cursing again," I pointed out.

"Yeah," he shook his head ruefully. "I figure even if I beat the homicide rap, the bus company's gonna have to fire my ass. Fucking liability, you know?" He peeled the rubber band off his wrist and dropped it in the gutter.

"Sally, I'm so sorry about all this."

"No problem, Steph. I'd get the hell out of town, but they're keeping an eye on me. And I'm not exactly, like, fucking inconspicuous." I looked around at all the uniforms. John Petrucci the fire marshall was a few yards away, talking to Morelli. Joe glanced back at me to reassure himself I was still there. His jaw tightened when he saw Sally's arm around my shoulders.

In the other direction was Ranger's black truck. I saw Hal and Junior nearby, but I didn't see Ranger anywhere.

I put my hands to the small of my back and stretched. I was already sore, and I knew it would be worse the next day.

My wrist brushed my pocket. The lump inside was a bunch of keys attached to an electronic remote. Ranger's remote. The keys to Ranger's truck.

"Sally," I hesitated. "Where would you go if you could leave town?"

Sally shrugged. "Someplace far away, I guess. If there are any Slayers still alive, I wouldn't want them to fucking find me. Have to keep away from the cops until I know if I'm in the clear or not. Might have to stay away for a long time."

I raised my voice. "Sally, I really need some ice for these bruises. There are some ice packs in Ranger's truck. Would you get me one?" I held out the bunch of keys.

Sally locked eyes with me.

He said in a low voice, "If you help me get away, Steph, you gotta come too. Stay here and they could hit you with aiding and abetting shit. And I'm sure as hell not stealing a fucking truck from Ranger by myself. He'd be cool with you taking it."

I hesitated. Even if Junkman wasn't around to stalk me anymore, Slayer headquarters in Los Angeles couldn't overlook Sally killing fourteen of their own. Sally was in danger because of me. Legal danger and mortal danger. I couldn't just walk away.

Again I raised my voice. "They're in a box behind the front seat. You look like you could use an ice pack, too. Here, come help me find them."

We got to our feet together and walked slowly toward Ranger's truck. I beeped the locks, then pulled open a back door. No one had reacted so far except Junior. He was watching me out of the corner of his eye.

Sally climbed into the back seat. "I don't see them," he called over his shoulder.

"I'll turn on the interior lights," I said. Junior was murmering something to Hal, who was getting out his cell phone.

I circled the truck, then climbed into the driver's seat. I turned the key in the ignition. Junior and Hal were quick-marching toward their cars. Morelli's head snapped around.

Sally pulled his door shut. "Haul ass, Steph!"

I put the truck in gear and peeled out around Robin's blue-and-white. I could see Morelli shouting something to me, but I couldn't hear what it was.

In the rear-view mirror I saw two more black RangeMan cars pulling out after me. A squad car was right behind them. One of the black cars fishtailed and came to a stop, effectively blocking the street. The squad car stopped just short of hitting the RangeMan vehicle.

As we rounded the corner I caught sight of Ranger standing beside Joe Juniak. He looked up and his eyes widened. The truck's windows were tinted, but he looked right at me like he could see me anyway. His mouth moved. Proud of you.

Sally hung on to the back of the passenger seat. "Hang a left at the next street! I know a way we can get upstate without taking the turnpike."

I took a deep breath, gripped the wheel, and drove forward into the unknown.


End file.
